AS The first day of Spring has come and gone, we find ourselves looking out of the atelier windows at a blanket of white. A chilled vista it is but, a welcome one for me. I can not stomach the thought of a warm up that confuses the trees this season as it did last. We lost too many early spring bloomers for me to want a fast warm up this season. I say take your time mother nature we…

As I was walking down the path to the drive, I came upon these lovely ladies in full bloom. These are the moments I treasure as a gardener. During the growing season I tend to appreciate beauty but look through it. Today as I discovered these gems, I took time to marvel at their beauty. Our warm up over the past few days apparently excited many living beings. From the ground to the air everything inhaled the sweet warm spell.…

A friend from Los Angeles has been visiting this week and on this rare occasion I chided him that our January weather was warmer then his back home! Although I sympathize with the potential plight of the citrus crop, I am happy to have had an opportunity to be outside pruning the espaliered apples at the atelier yesterday. For me, it is a rare opportunity to have a few seconds alone with a quiet mind doing something I enjoy so…

Like a Glacial flow over the tundra, winter this season is bringing change to the landscape at fleurdetroit. A once flat plain is now being further shaped into a remarkable creative campus and business, bringing together many arms of design. The landscape design arm has been cutting its teeth for close to 15 years now, working on some rather remarkable projects and those projects that have taught us greatly about good and bad choices. We are learning and growing at…

I usually am not short on words or witty repartee but, as of late I have been crazy busy with things of every ilk. The free second or two I have is fully consumed by watching “found” episodes of Downton Abbey season three or taking time to drink a glass of water. Needless to say, taking a moment to chat about something exciting on the blog has been the furthest from my mind due to time issues or lack of anything to speak about- until tonight.…

For me the thrill of autumn is the sight of the first geese in formation heading south and the arrival of the gourds and pumpkins to the atelier, from our farmer friends. The harvest and the putting to bed of the perennial gardens is exciting to me. Our team has begun to cut back certain perennials and shrubs, working in nutrients for their winter slumber and removing tired annuals for the season. Autumn brings a sense of rest even though there are…

This morning, I found myself layering in multiple layers of smart wool and cable knits: not quite able to achieve a level of comfort needed to strike out on this chilly Sunday morning. A quick drive to get coffee, b l a c k of course, and off to the atelier. Coffee is now gone but the heart burn from the doughnut persists as does the chill in my bones. To think I was just tickled a few weeks ago with a…

Joe and I want to say thank you to our amazing staff for continuously giving us 100 percent on a daily basis to make our companies stand out above the competition. It takes the hands of many to keep a creative company pushing forward! From our field men to our book keeper and CPA – we have assembled a great team and we say thank you. Thank you Jody for your ongoing creativity and great attitude especially over the past…

Despite the cooler evenings of last week, there still is plenty of summer left here in Michigan. My body relished the cool eves and damp mornings of the past several days, wanting the Fall to take over the laziness of this hot summer. I am realizing though, with this latest heat wave, summer hasn’t left the building, no matter how much I’d like to be wearing cable knits and heavy tweed trousers. Time for fall fashion is coming- in the…

More Often than not, as of the past several years, Joe and I have had a hard time living in the moment to enjoy some of the simple things we both once relished. We have been working seven days a week all day long with our businesses in the forefront of our minds. We truly enjoy our work and are very passionate but, last night was a welcome break to our current schedule. Our dear friends Gerhardt and Ken stopped…